PHASE-SEPARATION KINETICS OF ROD COIL MIXTURES/

Equations of motion are presented that describe the kinetics of phase separation of mixtures of rods and coils into an isotropic phase rich in coils and a nematic phase rich in rods. The equations were derived using dynamical mean field theory and contain only a few pure-componen t parameters, such as the self-diffusion coefficients and molecular we ights of the rods and coils. In such a system, both composition and or ientation density evolve with time in a coupled fashion, so the presen ce of orientational order has a pronounced effect on the domain morpho logy at all but the latest stages of phase separation. The formalism p resented here will provide insights into the control of domain morphol ogy and properties of bicontinuous polymeric structures produced by qu enching spinodal decomposition processes.